


make sure to keep my distance

by Faye_Reynolds



Series: tumblr au prompts [30]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: M/M, fbi agent!speirs, journalist!gene, long distance!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 14:11:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13389483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faye_Reynolds/pseuds/Faye_Reynolds
Summary: frommy tumblr posti love this one so much!





	make sure to keep my distance

**Author's Note:**

> from [my tumblr post](http://thecompanyofheroes.co.vu/post/162648079093/speiroe-speirs-x-roe-long-distanceau)
> 
> i love this one so much!

eugene roe had been called a lot of things in his life, spontaneous, however, was not one of them. so, when he finds himself packing up his most important things, some blankets, and his dog, charlie, he’s surprised. he hits the open road, happy for the first time in months. gene has the windows down, music blasting, wind in his hair as he cruises down the highway, one singular destination in mind: boston. he drives for days, seeing the absolute beauty of the country as he goes along. eventually, he finds himself parked down the street from a modest grey house, on a quiet street, just outside of boston. he sighs as charlie snuggles closer to him and falls asleep. as he rests, waiting for the owner to come home, he thinks about the last two years of his life and everything that’s led up to this moment.

* * *

 

it was a hot,  _hot_  summer day in bayou chene, louisiana. gene ripped his tan suit jacket off and loosened his tie. it’d been a long day of interviewing and chasing down lead that only led to dead ends. sometimes he wished he’d taken up the teaching position at the university on the east coast. but he loved the weather in louisiana too much to leave. 

or so he thought.

his shirt starts sticking to his back and he call the bartender to him.

“gene, honey, you want the usual?”

“make it a double, lois.”

“you got it.”

lois winked and moved to make his drink.

gene rubbed his eyes and sighed as he pulled a cigarette out of his bag and searched for his lighter.

“need a light?” a deep, sultry voice asked quietly from the left of him.

gene jumped slightly, he hadn’t heard the man even approach him.

he nearly dropped the cigarette from his mouth as his jaw had nearly dropped at the sight of the man before him.

he wore a slim suit, no a drop of sweat on the man, gene angrily noticed, dark hair and even darker eyes that he noticed kept shifting from his eye to his lips. 

gene nodded, a slight smile lifting on the left side of his jaw.

the man produced a gold lighter seemingly out of nowhere. gene learned forward and locked eyes with the stranger as he gently cradled his hand in order to light his cigarette.

he didn’t miss the way the man’s throat worked a little harder.

gene couldn’t look away from the strange, but as lois dropped his drink on the bar, the trance seemed to break.

“i’m ron,” the stranger put his hand out jerkily in front of gene’s face.

gene smiled and pulled the cigarette from his mouth, ashing into a tray by him before putting his hand into ron’s.

“i’m gene, gene roe. nice to meet ya.” 

ron smiled, and gene swore his heart skipped a beat.  _fuck_ , it was a nice smile.

“mind if i join you, gene?”

“nah, please sit.”

ron sat down and mirrored gene’s earlier actions in an attempt to get comfortable.

“you wouldn’t happen to have another one of those, would you?”

gene smiled, and silently place the pack between them as ron did with his lighter.

“so what brings a man like you all the way to the swamps of louisiana?”

the man took a long swig of his bourbon before answering, “murder.”

gene would’ve laughed, but the man beside him didn’t seem like a joker, at least not in that sense.

“fbi?”

ron’s eyebrows rose in surprise and he looked to gene.

“you’re not local, i would know,” gene smiled a lazy, but warm smile, “and the series of murders in surrounding towns would suggest fbi.”

ron nodded in respect and assurance that he was right.

“are you a cop?”

gene laughed and pulled out another cigarette. 

“no, worse.”

ron make a gesture for gene to tell him.

“i’m a journalist.”

ron’s eyes didn’t roll, but gene could tell they wanted to.

ron was quiet for a moment before he said, “we’re going to need more drinks.”

two hours later had gene and ron, slightly drunk and heatedly  _discussing_  the repercussions of the patriot act.  

lois interrupted them, letting them know that it was closing time.

“come on lois, this is getting good. he’s about to agree with me!” gene pleaded.

“i am not!” ron shouted.

the two men laughed and lois rolled her eye.

“i wanna get home boys so go. you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”

gene paid their tab, much to ron’s objections. gene muttered something about southern hospitality and ron muttered a shy thanks and gene never thought he’d use that adjective to describe any action of the man he’d gotten to know.

ron was deliberate and determined in everything he did, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

so when gene found himself pushed against ron’s car, being kissed breathless, he had no misgivings as to where the night was headed. 

ron only separated to ask if gene lived close or if they’d have to fuck in his car.

gene smiled, slow and sultry, as he pointed to the bar, well the apartment above the bar.

ron growled and didn’t stop kissing gene until he had to unlock the door.

when gene woke the next day, he was surprised to find ron dressed, new suit that must’ve been been in his car, and eating breakfast at gene’s table like it was the most normal thing to do.

“oh you’re up,” ron smiled and moved to give gene a long kiss good morning.

gene stretched like a cat as ron scratch his thighs,  _god could he get used to this._

 _“_ i’ve got to go, but i grabbed you some breakfast and coffee.”

gene looked to ron and for the first time saw uncertainty on his face.

“i-i want to see you again,  _properly_ , if you’d like that.”

gene smiled brightly, “i’d love that, ron.”

ron smiled as his phone rang.

“fuck, that’s talbert,” ron leaned in to kiss gene goodbye like he’d done it a hundred times before, “i left my number on the table. call me later.”

gene nodded and watched ron walk out the door.

he lit a cigarette and laughed at the warm feeling he had in his stomach from ron. 

* * *

that night they talked for hours, and wound up back in gene’s bed. in the morning, ron was up and ready before gene, alway with some kind of breakfast. he would kiss gene goodbye, plans for their night lingering in the air. for three weeks, this continued until ron’s team had captured the man responsible for the murders that gene was writing about and ron was investigating. 

neither man had prepared for their inevitable departure from one another.

they were sitting next to one another at the bar, reminiscent of when they first met, albeit much closer this time.

“when do you head out?” gene asked, breaking the tension filled silence.

ron cleared his throat, “tomorrow morning. hq wants us back to debrief.”

gene wanted to make a corny joke that ron would’ve loved, but he just didn’t have the heart. he was genuine distraught. he’d gotten so used to ron, he really liked him. he could give gene back as much as he gave. he would call gene out when he wasn’t applying himself as much as he could and gene would help him put together facts of the case that ron had forgotten about. part of the reason they’d solve the case so quickly was because of gene’s help.

their nights together meant more to gene than anything else. he’d never felt so alive and content with someone. being with ron felt like getting caught in a summer storm. there were moment where you were caught in the rain and as it hit your skin, you felt electrified, then when it died down you felt so comfortable but longed for the next start of the rain to hit your skin.

and gene longed. he longed for ron to be in his life, permanently. and ron was leaving tomorrow. leaving across the country and gene might never seen him again. he’d give anything to have ron stay. anything.

tears had begun to form in his eyes and he realized, in that moment, that he loved ron, completely. 

he met ron’s eyes and he saw a man in distress, torn. he took ron’s hand and pulled him with him out of the bar and to his apartment. 

that night the two men just held one another, talking about everything but the fact that one of them was leaving in the morning. 

when gene was certain ron was asleep, he spoke three little words into the cool night air.

* * *

when he woke in the morning, ron was gone. he expected some form of a goodbye, but maybe he’d put too much into what this was for ron. 

he stayed in bed all day, crying, smoking, and praying for something to tell him what to do. 

he eventually got out, deciding to finally drink something, even if it was hard liquor. 

he grabbed his phone and wallet and as he looked for his keys, he found a folded piece of paper with his name written on it.

he dropped into a chair and carefully opened it. 

_gene,_

_there’s so much i want to say to you and **wanted**  to say to you last night. as i watch you sleep, i can’t help but want to watch you wake up every morning and kiss you goodnight every night. i want to argue with you over who steals the covers and whose turn it is to turn off the lights. i want to know everything about you and tell you everything about me. above all, i want you to know that i love you. this past month has been the best of my life, and i don’t say that lightly. i love you, eugene roe. and if you’re willing to give this a shot, i am too. a long-distance, any distance, really, relationship with you is better than anything else i could find out there. and i don’t want to find anything else. you’re it. _

_p.s. i really hope you didn’t go straight to the bar and missed this letter. i’m going to be a wreck until i hear from you._

_love always,_

_ron._

gene wiped the tears off the pristine paper and immediately dialed ron’s number, no longer caring how desperate his actions were. if ron didn’t answer, he call again and again until he did. 

“gene?” ron answered, breathless like he’s expected gene to simultaneously answer and not answer.

“i love you.” gene no longer had any qualms about hiding anything from ron.

he heard ron gasp and then laughed.

“god it’s so good to hear that. i thought i was crazy.”

“well, a little, but i’m willing to see past that.” gene laughed.

they talked for two hours before ron had to go.

“so we’re really doing this?” gene asked, making sure ron was sure and that it wasn’t a heat of the moment idea.

“absolutely. i want you in any and every way i can, gene. like i said, you’ve kind of ruined anyone else for me. you’re it.”

“i feel the same way ron.”

“i have to go. i love you, gene.”

“i love you too, ron.”

* * *

for nearly two years, they’d managed to make their relationship work. 

not without hassles and setbacks. there’s only so much texting, phone calls, and skype could do. so on the long stretches where neither man was able to go to the other, they often found themselves arguing until on hung up. the next day, there’d be an early phone call full of apologies.

ron visited anytime he caught a case close enough and roe visited during major holidays.

it was perfect, but it was worth it. worth it to know that each man had found his other half.

two months ago, ron was acting oddly. he was difficult to reach and gene knew he wasn’t on assignment so he was usually more available. 

he wouldn’t directly answer gene’s questions as to where he’d been or what he was doing.

at the end of the week, gene was fed up. he knew ron, trusted him, he didn’t want to believe that ron was cheating on him, but maybe the pressures of not  _being_ **together**  had finally gotten to him. 

he dials ron’s number, angry and ready to demand answers.

“i was just thinking about you.” ron answered.

gene balked, “oh yeah, what about me?”

“about how i nearly forgot what your apartment door looked like.”

gene dropped the phone on the ground and ran to the door.

on the other side stood ron, smiling like the cat that caught the canary.

gene pulled him inside and didn’t stop kissing him until late into the night.

smoke filled the warm room and ron spoke gently against gene’s collarbone.

“i have to admit, i’m here under false pretenses.”

gene laughed, “how so?”

ron looked down at him, serious as ever.

“i meant it when i said i almost forgot what you door looked like. i-i can’t keep doing this, gene.”

gene’s heart stopped. he knew something was up with ron. he didn’t know if cheating or ending the relationship would hurt worse. he hoped he would’ve never had to find out.

ron leaned over gene’s torso and grabbed something out of his pants.

the handed gene a key and gene looked confusedly between the key and ron.

“what is this?” 

for the second time since he’d met him, gene so ron look uncertain, nervous. 

“a key. to a house. i-in boston. for you. and me. if you want it.”

gene took in the series of sentences and started to cry as he talked ron to the bed.

he kissed ron with everything he had and was met with a kiss just as intense.

* * *

gene smiled as he folded the letter back up, edges frayed from how many times it’s been read.

he still had three months on his lease, but lois had let him out early on account of the fact that the love of his life was waiting for him. any material thing important to him was sitting comfortably in the backseat. 

he waited in the car, charlie sound asleep next to him.

he didn’t even text ron or answer his many messages, he wanted to surprise him, but he didn’t think about whether or not ron would be out on a case.

he closed his eyes and sighed. he waited long enough to be with ron, what’s a couple more hours. 

* * *

gene woke with start at the sound of car doors slamming and cool night air blowing into his window. 

he smiled and he heart raced when  _finally_ saw ron as he got out of his car. he frowned when he saw ron in distress. yelling into his phone like it had personally accosted him.

gene laughed, assuming ron was talking to his voicemail again. gene grabbed his phone to see if it was true and paled when he realized his phone was dead.

one thing, the one rule about any long distance relationship is: always keep electronics charged.

he’d never intentionally missed anything from ron, and vice versa, but one thing they’d always depended on was nothing ever being sent straight to voicemail. 

gene cursed and watched ron sulk towards  ~~his~~   _their house_ without noticing him down the street.

charlie perked up as gene grabbed his bag from the passenger’s seat.

charlie’s tag started wagging furiously as he smelled ron and he was yapping and licking at gene’s face in excitement.

“i know boy, i’m excited too. think he missed us?” gene laughed as the two of them jumped out of the car.

gene loved how quickly he and charlie bonded. no matter the distraction or how excited charlie was, he never left gene’s side. 

the two walked up towards the front door and gene’s heart was about to burst out of his chest.

two knocks on the red door in front of him and a quick smile to charlie was all he had time for before the door swung open.

two things happened quickly: ron dropped his glass of scotch on the ground, glass shattering on the front porch and charlie ran between his legs to investigate his new home.

gene was speechless, he couldn’t think of anything to say or do. he’d have gladly spent the rest of his life on the front porch, staring at ron.

“gene?” ron asked, mirroring gene’s staring, in disbelief that the man in front of him was actually there.

“hey ron.”

“you didn’t answer me.” ron looked angry but gene could see the mischief in dark eyes.

“i was on the road.” gene laughed, taking a step closer.

“you’re an asshole.”

“yeah, but you love me.”

ron smiled bright and pulled gene into his arms and away from the shards of glass.

“that i do.”

gene placed his forehead again ron’s chest as the man wrapped his arms around him.

he breathed in a smell that he could never mimicked no matter how hard he tried.

ron smelled like smoke and gunpowder and musk and  _home_.

ron lifted his head up and kissed gene with such tenderness and love that gene nearly cried.

“welcome home gene.”

charlie barked from deep inside the house and then there were a plethora of different squeaks and ron laughed.

“i think he found his toys in his room.”

gene leaned into ron fully, never planning on letting him go.

he raise his eyebrows and smiled seductively, “will i find any toys in our room?”

ron swallowed and narrowed his eyes.

“why don’t we go see?”

gene gasped when ron smacked his ass.

ron laughed and shut and locked their door. finally breathing easy knowing the gene was  _home_  and would always be. 


End file.
